Flash light



Jan. 9 J. F. MORAN 1,988,853

FLASH LIGHT Filed Oct. 26, 1935 mum\muumum 'll--- lllllll' H) II INVENTOR Joseph E Moran i bulb removed;

Patented Jan. 22, 1935 FLASH new Joseph F. Moran,,waterbury, Conn., assiznor to Scovili Manufacturing Company, Waterbury,

1 Conn a corporation of Connecticut Application October 2c, 1933, SeriaLNo..d95,-219- 2 Claims.

'I'his invention relates flashlights, and more particularly to-an improved lock switch for controlling the circuit through the flashlight bulb.

One objector this invention is to provide a 6; look switchof the above nature comprising only a pair of elements mounted onthe side of the. flashlight "casing, and having means whereby the light maybe intermittently flashed orla'tchedin closed oircuit position to produce a 102' continuous light.

Adurther-aobject" isto provide a lock switch mechanismof the abovenature which is provided with a sliding thumbpiece which may be lockedkin open circuit position to prevent acci- 162 dental closing of the switch. A further object is to provide a flashlight casinghaving=novel meansfor positioning the center terminal ofthe battery in alinement with the lower terminabof the lamp, and also serving 20: to keep thebatteries out oi engagement with the switch mechanism.

A-further object is'to provide a device of the above nature which willbe simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to as- 332 ing, two iorms in which theinvention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

' In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a flashlight" with parts broken away on a longitudinal; sectidntoshow the interior construction, with the switch in locked open-circuit position.

Fig. 2-g is a similarfragmentary longitudinalsecton of .the same showing the switch held latch H in prolonged closed circuit position.

Fig; 3 is a-face view of the switch mechanism.

Fig-4 is-a similar view of the same with the sliding thumb-piece removed.

Fig. 5 is aplanviewof the head end'of the head assembly and lamp flashlight, with the Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken through the switch mechanism along the line 66;of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is agdetailperspective view of a modi $3 fle'diorm offconductor ring combined with a pair of integral battery guard members.

Referring-now to the drawingin which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 5 indicates a sheet metal casing having an enlarged threaded forward em'l' 11 iorq detachably receiving aheadlshell' 12', the latter-being pro-- vided with an inturned annular shoulder 13 and aperipheral octagonal nut section 14; I ['he head shell 12 isprovided withthe=usual flatglasslens 5, 15? positioned between the shoulder 13" and the flanged forward rim 160i a parabolic reflector 17, whicli is held inplaceby-means-ofl a tour sided spring w-ire'spider member 18; of common construction," having detachable engagement in 10: the points ofthe' octagonalnut'section-14 0f saidhead shell 12'. It is tobeunderstood that this construction allows the" head shell 12, thelens 15, and-the reflector 17 to bere'movedfrom the casing 10=as a unit; v Moreowryby-reasonof 15,

the threaded engagement" ar -me head shell 12-- upon the enlargedthreaded end 1i ofthecasing; the reflector 1'7 may be reiadily focusedwith 5 re spect to a lamp bulb-19. Q T 1 The bulb w is mountednn athreadedmetallic 20: socket 20*l0cated at the center-of sin-insulation block or disc 21, preterablybi" octagonal shape; and adapted to-seaflwithina" flared' oc tagonal neck'section22 joining the main-part-"Ofthecas ing 10 with the enlarged end 11 (see Iflgsil and 5). A metallicconductorring 23 is posi tioned on the inside surfaceof the-insulation block-21 and is adaptec'l to: be secured tosaid blockby the spun-over bottom end -24 of' the metallicsocket 20; The conductor ring 23 has 302 an outwardly'extending arm 23a provided with a turned-up lug 25 lying'within a slot' 26 formed" in one side of thepctagonal block 21-, saidlug 25 serving as the stationary contact of the, switch, and adapted to be engagedby a movable elongated contactor strip 27 forming" apart of" the switch mechanism to be more fully described'later: I

'Ihe'socket 20 is provided with the usual enlarged' opening 28 at its base for surrounding: the inner terminal 29 ofthe. lamp 19; said terminal being adapted to'contact directly with the upper'terminalBQ' oithe upper cell 31' of thebattery, In order to assure that the. upper terminal 3oiwillalways remain in-good electrical 46 contact with the-lower lamp terminal 29; provision is" made of a circular guard member 32 depending from the underside, of the insulation block"21jtowhichit issecured, as by a plurality, of lugs 33, projecting through corresponding 50; slots 34, and bent over against. the upper face of. saidblock, (see. Fig. 5). The guard member 32 embraces the upper part of the topcell 31 except fora wide vertical'cut-out' slot 35 formed in said guard member in alinement with the lug 25 to provide a suitable working clearance for the movable contactor strip 27. The lower edge 36 of the guard member 32 is flared outwardly into frictional engagement with the cylindrical inner wall of the casing 10, whereby said guard member will be held rigidly in position.

Switch mechanism v The mechanism for icausing' the; contactor strip 27 to move into engagement with the lug 25 comprises a rectangular escutcheon plate 37 preferably formed integral with the casing 10," and having a rectangular central opening 38 spaced from the four corners of which are aplurality of longitudinal slots'39,; as-snownm Fig. 4. An exterior sliding thumb-piece '40 is adapted to overlie the plate 37 and is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced opposed stepped sections 41, 41a, between which is a central finger opening 42. The thumb-piece 'is held in position onv the escutcheon plate 3,7,by means of adapted toliesubstantiallyfiush with the upper.

portion of the thumb-piece 4 0,,when the lamp circuit is open ,(see-Fig, 1 It will thus be seen that vhen thepush button 45 isdepressed, the

upper free end of'said 21 willgrnove into contact with the;l 1g.25 on the conductor ring 23 ,ior closing the ;.electrica1 circuit thr'ough the lamp bnlb 19. Electrical connection is established to thelbottom ,terminal ofthe battery by means of the casing; 1p; ;and the :bottom screw e partsv re n the o io Shown in Fig-. 1, the lampmayv be flashed on momentarily and will remain lighted; so long as the operator pushes inwardly with his finger upon the pushbutton 45. When he removes hisfing er, the

resiliency of the elongated contactor strip 27 will-automatically swingfsaid strip away from the. stationary contact 25, thus opening-the circult and extinguishing the lamp bulb 19.- When, however, a is desired .to.=hold the switch in closed circuit positionfor a longer period, without theg necessity of pressing upon the push button, it will only be necessary to press the push-button inwardly while the thumb-piece 40 is pushed upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2,,whereby the lower stepped section 41a will engage the pushbutton ,45, andlwill hold it inwardlywith'the strip 2'7 in prolonged'closedcircuit position-asilong'as desired.

-,,It.will be understood thatthe switch may then be readilyv restored to, open-circuit position merely by sliding the thumbpiece 40 downwardly to its original position shown inFig. 1. ,An important feature of the present invention is that, when the switch parts are in the opn.-circuit "position, as shown in Fig.1, the thumb-piece40 will be positively locked against accidental sliding movement to close the switch by reason ofthe engagement of; the push-button by the lower edge of the finger opening 42 in the thumb-piece 40. In order to unlock the thumb-piece 40 to permit the prolonged closing of the switch, it will first be necessary to depress the push-button 45 sufficiently to clear the lower edge of the opening 42.

For the purpose of guiding the contactor strip 37 in its circuit closing and opening movements, and also holding the adjacent cell ofthe battery away from said strip, provision is made of a pair of inturned lugs 48, 48 formed integral with the escutcheon plate 37 along opposite sides of the longitudinal edge of the central opening 38 thereof, said lugs being adapted to straddle the push-button section 45 of said contactor strip 27.

fin the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the conductor ring and guard sections are'madein one unit 49 comprising a semi-circular apertured section 50, a broad lateral protheunit-49 is assembled to the insulating block 21, said lug 53 will be disposed within the slot 26 in alinement with the movable contactor strip 27 by which it is adapted to be engaged for completing the circuit.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modificationsand embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claims;

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a-fiashlight, a battery casing, an insulating lamp socket supporting block at the top of; said casing, a stationary contact spaced inwardly'of said casing and electrically connected with said socket, a longitudinal movable contact located within said casing in alinement with said stationary contact, means on the exterior of said casing for operating said movable contact, said .block having a depending tubular guard member to prevent said battery from engaging said movable contact.

2. In a flashlight, a battery casing, an insulating lamp socket supporting block atthe top of said casing, a stationary contact spaced inwardly of said casing and electrically connected with said socket, a longitudinal movablecontact located within said casing in alinement-withsaid stationary contact, means on the exterior of said casing for operating said movable contact, said block having a depending tubular guard member to prevent said battery from engaging said movable contact, said guard having a vertical slot in alinement with said movable contact to permit free movement thereof into contact with said stationarycontact.

. JOSEPH F. MORAN. 

